CHAKOTHI: Schools reopened in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday after some of the residents of border villages returned home, following a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The truce was reached after four days of intense exchanges of fire as the old enemies targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians.
In the border town of Chakothi near Line of Control (LoC), attendance was thin at schools as many people, who had moved to safer places due to Indian shelling, were still slowly coming back to the area.
“For the past many days, my school remained closed due to [cross-border Indian] shelling,” said Junaid Munir, a 6th-grader.
“Today, it is open. I have to study and get ahead [in life].”
The military confrontation began on May 7, when India said it launched strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, following an attack on Hindu tourists by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town that killed 26 men last month.
Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation.
A local school principal said some residents were waiting for a more definitive peace solution before considering to move back to their border town homes.
“Some of the children, two or three girls, have arrived so far. But [most] parents and the rest of the people have obviously shifted elsewhere,” said Naveed Akhtar, who heads a school in Chakothi.
“That’s why children are not here. The message [about reopening of schools] has been conveyed to them, and, God willing, very soon these children will return to school and our academic system will resume.”
Syeda Zohra Kazmi, who studies in 7th grade, said some mortar shells had partially damaged her home, but she insisted on attending classes as the school reopened on Tuesday.
“There was shelling outside our residence as well, and some shells landed on our house,” she said. “As the schools got reopened today, I said I will go to school. I am not afraid of shelling.”
Schools reopen in Azad Kashmir after Pakistan-India ceasefire
https://arab.news/yv2fc
Schools reopen in Azad Kashmir after Pakistan-India ceasefire
- The truce was reached after four days of intense exchanges of fire as the old enemies targeted each other
- Attendance remained low at schools in border towns of Azad Kashmir where fighting displaced several families
Pakistan police detain eight Sindh building authority officials after Karachi building collapse
- Twenty-seven people died when dilapidated building in Lyari collapsed last Friday
- Incident exposes issue of unsafe housing in city home to over 20 million people
KARACHI: Eight officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the owners of a building that collapsed in Karachi last week have been detained in connection with the incident, Pakistani police said on Thursday.
A five-story residential building, Fotan Mansion, collapsed last Friday around 10 am in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of Karachi, trapping dozens under the rubble and prompting a large-scale rescue operation. Rescue officials recovered 27 bodies from the rubble after three days.
The collapse of the dilapidated building once again exposed the persistent issue of unsafe and poorly regulated housing in Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, which is home to over 20 million people. The rapid urbanization and weak enforcement of building codes have put countless residents at risk.
“We have detained eight officials of the SBCA and the owners of the building in connection with the first information report regarding the building collapse in Lyari,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) City Arif Aziz told Arab News.
The complaint was registered under criminal sections covering public servant misconduct, negligence in building safety, unintentional death, intentional bodily harm and property damage. These offenses carry penalties ranging from fines and short-term imprisonment to financial compensation and long-term jail.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended Director General SBCA Ishaque Khuhro and ordered an inquiry over the incident on Monday.
He also directed the SBCA to carry out safety inspections of all buildings in the city. The Sindh government announced Rs1 million ($3,513) in compensation for the families of the 27 victims.
Many of the building’s occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community, and residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when the structure collapsed.
Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe three years ago, according to the SBCA. This incident is the latest in a series of deadly building collapses in Karachi.
In February 2020, a five-story building in Rizvia Society collapsed, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure in Gulbahar came down, claiming 16 lives.
In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, resulting in four deaths. Just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi killed at least three people.
Pakistan delegation concludes UAE visit under governance exchange program
- Meetings focused on digital governance, tax reform and service delivery
- Delegation seeks to adopt UAE best practices in innovation, institutional performance
ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani government delegation on Thursday concluded an official visit to the United Arab Emirates as part of a program aimed at sharing knowledge and best practices in governance and public sector modernization.
The delegation, led by Bilal Azhar Kayani, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance and Railways and Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, participated in the UAE Government’s Experience Exchange Programme (EEP). The initiative is aligned with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s wider push for institutional reform and better service delivery across the country’s public sector.
During the visit, the eight-member team held detailed sessions with senior UAE officials to learn about digital governance, tax system modernization, leadership development, and innovation in public service.
“Kayani expressed gratitude to the UAE Government for facilitating valuable knowledge-sharing engagements in areas such as digital governance, public service delivery, and tax system modernization,” the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi said in an official statement.
On the final day of the program, the Pakistani delegation met senior Emirati officials including Mohammad Al Sharhan, Managing Director of the World Governments Summit, Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the UAE Federal Tax Authority, Saeed Al Eter, Chair of the UAE Government Media Office, Dr. Waleed Al Ali, Secretary General of The Digital School and Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation.
The sessions focused on the UAE’s approach to future foresight, media communication, and performance management in governance.
Kayani “underscored Pakistan’s commitment to adopting global best practices in digital governance, efficiency, and public sector competitiveness to enhance service delivery and institutional performance,” the statement added.
The visit builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 16, 2025, between the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in governance excellence and institutional capacity-building.
The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and an important source of foreign remittances, with more than 1.7 million Pakistani expatriates living and working in the Emirates. According to Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the UAE is the second-largest destination for Pakistani migrant workers after Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, bilateral trade has grown steadily, reaching nearly $10 billion in 2024, driven by energy imports, textiles, and other goods. Pakistani workers in the UAE sent home over $5 billion in remittances last fiscal year, providing vital foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The two countries maintain close ties in investment, defense cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, underpinned by shared commitments to economic development and regional stability.
Pakistan army chief calls visits to US, Gulf, Central Asia ‘successful diplomatic maneuver’
- Munir’s remarks preset rare public statement by military on the country’s high-level diplomatic outreach
- Says meetings with Trump, other US leaders allowed Pakistan to present views on bilateral, regional issues
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, on Thursday described his recent visits to the United States, Gulf nations and Central Asia as a “successful diplomatic maneuver,” in a rare public statement by the military on the country’s high-level foreign policy engagements.
Munir made the remarks during a closed-door briefing to senior commanders at the 271st Corps Commanders’ Conference, held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing.
In May and June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by senior ministers and Munir, visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan as part of Islamabad’s broader diplomatic outreach in the wake of its four-day confrontation with India in May and as tensions escalated in the Middle East.
Last month, Munir was also hosted to a unprecedented two-hour-long lunch by US President Donald Trump at the White House, with no civilian leaders present. The two leaders discussed regional conflicts including India-Pakistan and Iran-Israel tensions, as well as economic development, trade, cryptocurrency, critical minerals and IT.
“The COAS shared details of Pakistan’s proactive and successful diplomatic maneuver, including recent visits to Iran, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, KSA and UAE, where the COAS accompanied the honorable prime minister,” the army’s media wing said in a statement.
“Forum was also briefed on the historic and unique visit of the COAS to US, where meetings with top-tier leadership, afforded an opportunity to share firsthand, Pakistan’s objective perspective on bilateral, regional and extra-regional developments.”
According to the ISPR, the commanders’ forum also conducted a “holistic review” of internal and external security dynamics, with particular focus on developments in the Middle East and Iran. It said the growing global trend toward the use of force as a preferred policy tool highlighted the need for “persistent development of self-reliant capabilities, national unity and resolve.”
Pakistan has long accused India of supporting militant groups that carry out attacks inside its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, an allegation New Delhi denies. The military’s statement said Indian intelligence agencies were continuing to back anti-Pakistan proxies.
“Forum strongly asserted that it is imperative to take decisive and holistic actions at all levels against the Indian-backed and sponsored proxies,” the ISPR said.
Pakistan’s powerful military has ruled the country directly for nearly half of its history and retains significant influence over foreign and security policy, even under civilian governments. In recent weeks, top officials have increasingly described the current governance model as a “hybrid system” in which the military and civilian leaders co-share power.
PM Sharif orders formation of committee to promote e-commerce in Pakistan
- Shehbaz Sharif meets six-member delegation of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group in Islamabad
- E-commerce a vital element in realizing government’s vision of an export-led economy, says prime minister
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a delegation of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group on Thursday, directing authorities to form a committee to further promote e-commerce in Pakistan.
Pakistani financial analysts say the country’s growing Internet penetration — with over 80% teledensity — was already fueling e-commerce, despite the fact that it still accounts for less than 1% of the overall retail market. This has also forced several retailers to shift to digital platforms.
A six-member Alibaba Group delegation, led by the group’s president of international markets James Dong, called on PM Sharif to discuss promoting e-commerce in the South Asian country. During the meeting, Sharif noted that 300,000 Pakistanis are currently selling locally produced products on e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba Group.
“The prime minister directed the formation of a committee to develop a roadmap for further promoting e-commerce in the country,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
Sharif also instructed authorities to take steps to increase the number of Pakistani businesses selling their products on e-commerce platforms, noting that e-commerce is a major means of increasing exports significantly.
“E-commerce is a vital element in realizing the government’s vision of an export-led economy,” the prime minister said.
Dong praised the key role of the Pakistani business community in promoting international trade via e-commerce, the PMO said. He noted that around 300,000 locally made Pakistani products are currently being sold on Alibaba’s website.
“He also noted that Pakistani textile products are the most in-demand and best-selling items on the Alibaba platform,” the PMO said.
Dong expressed “strong interest” in providing technical training to entrepreneurs in e-commerce to increase the number of Pakistani traders on Alibaba’s platform.
Realizing the growth and importance of e-commerce platforms in the country, Pakistan’s government imposed fresh taxes on international e-commerce giants in its recent federal budget.
The new measures, introduced through the budget passed on June 26, include an 18% sales tax on goods delivered by courier companies on behalf of foreign platforms, a 5% fixed income tax on digital retailers and a reduction in the duty-free threshold for imported parcels from Rs5,000 to Rs500 ($18 to $1.80).
Pakistan, Egypt agree to enhance agriculture, food security and farming cooperation
- Agriculture constitutes largest sector of Pakistan’s economy. Contributing 24 percent to country’s GDP
- Pakistan, Egypt to sign MoU “soon” to strengthen research exchange, training and innovation in agriculture
ISLAMABAD: Senior officials of Pakistan and Egypt discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security and farming on Thursday, Pakistan’s food security ministry said, with Islamabad expressing interest in learning from Cairo’s successful experiences in these areas.
Agriculture constitutes the largest sector of Pakistan’s economy, contributing about 24 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). As per official figures, it accounts for half of Pakistan’s employed labor force and is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings for the South Asian country.
Pakistan’s National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain met Dr. Ihab Mohamed Abdelhamid Hassan, Egypt’s ambassador to Pakistan, at the ministry in Islamabad on Thursday.
“The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, and climate-resilient farming systems,” the food security ministry’s statement said.
Hussain praised Egypt’s “remarkable progress” in the agricultural sector, especially in water resource management, arid-zone farming and the adoption of modern technologies, the statement said.
He emphasized Pakistan’s keen interest in learning from Egypt’s successful experiences, calling for enhanced collaboration in seed development, agricultural science, drip irrigation, capacity building and climate-smart technologies.
“One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the mutual agreement to formalize cooperation between Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Egypt’s Agricultural Research Center (ARC), as well as the Egyptian International Center for Agriculture (EICA),” the statement said.
It added that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two research institutions is expected to be signed “soon” to strengthen research exchange, training and innovation in agriculture.
Hussain also highlighted Pakistan’s challenges in post-harvest losses, especially in wheat storage. He appreciated Egypt’s successful efforts in improving wheat storage through better silo systems and logistics.
Both countries agreed to share experiences and technical solutions to reduce such losses in Pakistan, which currently range between 20–30 percent, the food security ministry said.
